(Image: Google Maps)
City workers were busy Monday at the intersection of Pine and Bellevue removing an old wood utility pole that has blocked the walk signal on the crossing’s southwest corner for years.
Seven days earlier, a 27-year-old woman was hit by a driver and killed as she crossed there.
The King County Medical Examiner says Lilliana Moreno died when she was crushed under the vehicle that struck her in the just after 8 PM collision.
The Seattle Department of Transportation and city officials have asked for more time before responding to CHS’s inquiries about safety at the intersection but this week’s work was pretty clear.
The pole removed Monday, covered in Capitol Hill’s usual mix of music and community flyers, has been on the corner blocking the crossing signal since at least September 2024, according to Google Maps.
Moreno was walking with a friend Monday night when police say a Prius driver turning right westbound onto E Pine struck and killed her. The Seattle Police Department says the driver was evaluated for drug and alcohol use and showed no signs of impairment.
CHS has asked for SPD’s report on the incident but a department spokesperson declined the request citing the “open and active collision investigation involving a pedestrian fatality.”
As of Monday, it was unclear if the case was still open with SPD.
Reports of Monday’s removal were posted on social media including this account on r/Seattle
Utility pole replacement typically involves a “first-in, last-out” hierarchy where crews move high-voltage lines first, leaving the old pole in place for telecom and other companies to move lower-hanging wires and equipment. Because each service must handle its own equipment, the old pole cannot be removed until every provider has finished their transfer.
The result can be an extra pole like the one helping prop things up at Bellevue and Pine until yesterday.
We have asked SDOT and the city for specifics about the removal and will update when we hear more.
In one social media thread, multiple people say they had reported the blockage months previous via the city’s Find It, Fix It – Service Request App.
CHS reported here as loved ones remembered Moreno as “a 27-year-old beauty with backbone, big emotions and strong opinions.” A community fundraiser has been launched to support her family through the tragedy.
In her State of the City speech last Tuesday, Mayor Katie Wilson acknowledged Moreno’s death. but public officials including District 3 Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth have not yet responded to CHS’s inquiries about the deadly crash. The Seattle Department of Transportation says it will have more to say about Moreno’s death and the intersection soon.
At least 15 people were hit and killed by drivers on Seattle streets in 2025.
More than a decade ago, Pine at Bellevue was identified as one of the most dangerous crossings for pedestrians along E Pine. Pike and Pine have been reconfigured in the years since. Last year, the city completed an overhaul that included transitioning portions of Pike and Pine to new one-way configurations.
Despite the work, the old utility pole remained in place blocking the signal.
Subscribe to CHS to help us hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for $5 a month — or choose your level of support 
